2 new males Rodriguez fruit bat have arrived

Following a recommendation from the European Breeding Program for Rodriguez fruit bats (Pteropus rodricensis), two males have been transferred from Paris Zoo to our nocturama at the beginning of this week. They are both 2 years old. They spent the first night in a small isolation cage in the service area. The next day, the same cage was put inside the nocturama, allowing the two males to safely discover their new environment. The following day the door of the cage was opened and the two individuals quickly joined the other bats. Our colony, that records between 6 to 8 births each year, now numbers 67 individuals!
The Rodriguez fruit bats are endemic to the island of the same name located off the eastern coast of Madagascar. Living in the tropics, they need heat and humidity that is why the nocturama offers them a constant temperature of 25° and a hygrometry rate of 70%. The day/night cycle is swapped around so the bats can be seen when they’re most active. Bats are indeed nocturnal animals who search for food and feed at night. They mainly feed on fruits and nectar, thus playing an essential role in pollinating plants and seeds dispersal in the forest.

Rodriguez fruit bats are severely threatened in the wild by habitat destruction that make them very susceptible to cyclones and tropical storms. These natural phenomena can directly kill many bats but also subject them to food scarcity, vegetation being stripped of fruits, flowers and leaves. With less than 4,000 individuals left in the wild, the species is listed critically endangered on the IUCN Red List.